The novel pandemic has shook countries to their very base. Claiming lives and means of livelihood, crashing economies and bringing businesses to slow screeching halts. Governments of countries have frantically employed scatter-gun approach in a divine bid to push back, salvage its existence and economy from cosmic moribund and annihilation.
Africa as a continent was fully greeted with the unpleasantness of the virus at the start of March 2020. Despite proactively initiating lockdown and imitating the testing and curative strategies of Europe and Asia who were first hit, there is a worrying rate of spread of the virus. There have being over 3.7 million global infections and over 264,000 recorded deaths.
Nigeria is dubbed “Giant of Africa”. Now more than ever, this social designation is called into question. Big names should and must rise and be counted. International observers monitor with keen interests, the different approaches countries have implored in cushioning the effect of the pandemic on their economies and citizen’s lives.
Like other countries, Nigeria gave automatic and impulsive reactions in response to the pandemic. Other countries have seemingly advanced from merely reacting to being proactive, attracting global recognition for their actions. Sadly, Nigeria seems to have being outshone and utterly outdid by the strategies of its contemporaries in their grapple to not be inundated with the virus spread. The dynamics of governance, innovative thinking and decisiveness in the execution of plans have made some other nations in these perilous times more deserving of the social designation “Giants”.
April 2020 was greeted with rapid rising COVID 19 cases in Africa precipitating a lockdown across the continent. The aim of this was to “limit the spread of the virus”. Several countries fittingly took this notches higher, ensuring the period of the lock down is maximized by conducting thousands of tests. The strange nature of this infection has proven it could be asymptomatic in certain individuals. This underlines the necessity for tests to be carried out, to stand a chance at controlling spread. In full retrospect, Nigeria pales significantly in comparison to its African contemporaries in optimal use of the lockdown. Senegal, Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda, South Africa and Egypt appear to have made far better strides.
SENEGAL
The republic of Senegal is a country in the west of Africa, with an estimated population rising above 15 million. President Macky Sall demonstrates a commendable model and strategy in its fight against the Corona virus pandemic. Drawing strength from their experience at managing Ebola, Senegal developed a $1 quick diagnostic stick. They dared to go as far as producing their own ventilator at a cost of just $60 cutting huge cost in the process. Imported ventilators cost $60,000. The country has recorded the largest rate of recoveries in Africa and third in the world with only 9 deaths.
Before the pandemic, Senegal’s economy were on the path of emergence. Unfortunately that momentum seem to be eroding. However they look primed and on course to return to full operations soonest in light of impressive developments.
MADAGASCAR
Republic of Madagascar is a country in the coast of East Africa. The country is undergoing a meteoric rise of some sought. The continent massively felt its impact in the last Cup of nation competition. This time in a global fight, Madagascar impressively flexes its muscles once again. President Andry Rajoelina recommended a locally produced herbal mixture named Covid Organics (CVO) as cure for the virus. Despite this still awaiting approval from the World Health Organizations (WHO) and splitting opinions globally as regards its reliability and efficacy, its fruits are bare for everyone to witness. Madagascar has recorded zero deaths thus far and has completely called off its lockdown.
Madagascar’s situation and seeming solution has piqued the interest of some African countries. Senegal, Guinea Bissau, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria have enquired details about the CVO.
“Nigeria may ask Madagascar to send a plane load of herbal solutions to treat COVID-19”. The secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha was quoted as saying by thecable.ng
GHANA
Admirably, The Ghanaian government has superbly managed its response to the pandemic. Providing forms of palliatives for its citizenry whilst embracing technology to assuage the spread and combat the virus. The country’s government maximized its 3-weeks lockdown period to ramp up its testing to over 100,000. Placing them second highest in the continent. Ghana also employed the use of drones in transporting its test samples to laboratories.
The President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo superbly catered for the welfare of its citizenry as well. He guaranteed free electricity and adopted several economic stimulus measures to assuage the dire impacts of the lockdown. The measures employed cut across a reduced interest rate, decrease in cost of fund transfers through mobile money and lowering reserve requirements for lenders from 10% to 8% amongst others.
Their excellent control and management of the pandemic has allowed the Ghanaian government to partially lift the lockdown and salvage its economy.
Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda immensely pushed the distribution of relief materials as palliatives across the country. Egypt were first to carry out 100,000 tests in Africa. South Africa have made over 200,000 tests with province Guatang developing a self-screening app called MPILO for tracking COVID-19 infected cases.
Nigeria
The Federal Republic of Nigeria has an estimated population of about 200 million people, the largest in Africa. The country has made good efforts. Carried out just above 11,000 tests thus far and according to Boss Mustapha SGF might be edging towards obtaining a plane load of Madagascar’s organic “potions”. In the update provided on the 27th of April by the President, Muhammadu Buhari; the country looks towards partial lifting of its lockdown amid certain restrictions from the 4th of May.
New laboratories have being accredited to ramp up the number of tests carried out. Medical team from China have being contracted to offer expert foreign opinions and assistance in the care for the infected. Security was beefed up to effectively discourage and eliminate threats to the rising insecurities during the lockdown. Whilst these are steps in the right direction, Senegal, Madagascar and others are sprinting.
In Chukwuma Soludo’s (Past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria) article, he suggested how a colossal imitation of the strategies applied in Europe might not be the best bet for Africa. He sighted our communal living, a non-existent government financial war chest amongst others as reasons to corroborate his assertion. He implored Africa to look inward to create its own solution and sought best ways to maximize this global disruption.
In and around the African continent, there have being laudable advancements however small in the war against this pandemic. There are reasons to entertain hope. As the world looks set to adopt this model, evidenced by numerous countries lifting their lockdown; these past weeks have thought us all a few things. Size often does not determine might. The countries with the most laudable achievements are least expected. The “Giant” thing might be overrated, because this time Nigeria should take a bow.
Nigerians sure need to take a bow and stop seeing herself as the giant of Africa, when the virus was discovered in other countries our borders should have been shut down but no they left it until according to news report a foreigner who was affected brought it to Nigeria now let’s conduct a simple comparison refering to the above measures by Ghana, and Senegal this is what happened in Nigeria young boys who tried construing locally made ventilators no one heard from them, stone filled rice and a roll of scatche tomatoes were given to a few number of people who had connect. After the first lockdown nothing was achieved even after extension no results , the government announced free light AEDC still came to disconnect defaulters light laying claim that the government didn’t settle the bills to mention but a few security men abuse their rights, oppression is what we see even with the closed inter-state movement people travel everyday how were they able to bypass security men on the road?
Nigerians sure need to take a bow..